PM Marković visits Bijelo Polje: This will be year of growth of wage and living standards of citizens

Bijelo Polje, Montenegro (3 January 2019) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković said earlier today during his working visit to Bijelo Polje that is believes that 2019 will be the year of wage growth in both public and private sectors and that this should be a consequence of Montenegro's economic growth and economic success.

When asked by a journalist to comment on the consequences of his statement made late last year at the Chamber of Commerce, when he called on employers and owners of companies to transfer some profits to salaries of employees, the Prime Minister noted that he has already received positive feedback signals.

"I have taken the opportunity to raise an important issue concerning the quality of life of all citizens of Montenegro, and especially the employees of these companies. Over the previous two years, the Government has been dedicated to creating key conditions for accelerated development, growth of the economy and new jobs creation. We have e done a lot. In 2017, the Montenegrin economy grew at a rate of 4.7%, and of 4.8% in the first 9 months of 2018, and we created 11,000 new jobs. According to administrative data, the registered unemployment rate in Montenegro fell from 21% to 17.2%, whereas the LFS-based unemployment rate fell from 17.7% to 14.1%. Therefore, the year of 2019 has to be the year of continuation of such a trend, but also the improvement of the living standards of citizens in Montenegro, and especially the employees, not only in the public administration, but in the private sector as well," said the Prime Minister.

He added that this is the reason he told employers and owners of companies that Montenegro has improved the environment, created conditions for the profit of their companies, but that some of that profit should now be passed on to the standard of employees.

"I am hopeful that 2019 there will be the year of higher salaries for employees in both public and private sectors, that in 2019 we will create preconditions for the growth of pensions in Montenegro and of course improvement of the living standards for employees in education, and other sectors. We will do everything to put the gray economy under control, to make people pay taxes and contribute to the State, thus creating the conditions for transferring part of that profits that Montenegro creates from the growth of its economy into citizens' pockets," Prime Minister Duško Marković stressed.

Tenders for projects in Bijelo Polje worth more than EUR 13.5 million launched in December

Prime Minister Marković, together with Minister of the Interior Mevludin Nuhodžić and Mayor of Bijelo Polje Petar Smolović, visted a new crossroads towards Bjelasica and the future ski centre Cmiljača, and then officially opened the Sutivan - Njegnjevo pedestrian bridge, for which the cornerstone was laid exactly one year ago .

"This will mean a new quality of life for the citizens of this region, for those who have been here for a long time, but also for those who have just started living in this area," the Prime Minister said, reminding that the new bridge connects two schools, an outpatient clinic, a kindergarten ...

The Prime Minister announced an investment of 150,000 euros in the construction of a sports hall in the local school and 100,000 euros for the arrangement of access roads.

"And that is not all. In December we launched tenders for works in the area of ​​Bijelo Polje worth over 13.5 million euros referring to the new ski resort on Cmiljača, works on Đalović Cave, water supply system in Zaton ... We are also preparing for the reconstruction of other roads towards Korita worth two million euros. So, 2019 and 2020 will be the years of culmination, new results and great successes," Prime Minister Marković concluded.

Locals: Thank you for new bridge

President of the Bijelo Polje Municipality Petar Smolović and a representative of the local community Miloš Marić thanked the Prime Minister for his personal dedication to build the bridge.

He told the gathered citizens that the new Sutivan - Njegnjevo pedestrian bridge is only a small part of the mosaic from the total projects the Government, through the Directorate of Public Works, has implemented in Bijelo Polje, working daily to improve the living conditions for all citizens of the northern region.